"Imitate Me"

"I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. "
~ 1 Corinthians 4:14-16 (NIV)

That is Paul's writing. One whom has been a great role model in the early church. This day this passage spoke to me in a self-examining manner, to check myself and to measure myself in regards to the above of Paul's writing. I'm not to check myself or measure myself for the sake of comparison, or to endeavour to find and craft feel-good feelings of myself, but to reflect within on how I've been living my life.

This Scripture challenged me to say that same thing by Paul unto others around me. Am I able to say that? I shudder at the thought. Those statements invite people's scrutiny and examination, which many a times can be rather critical and very objective, taken to the extreme, judgmental.

But the Lord challenged me to consider how my life has been an influence unto others. Have I been a worthy influence to my neighbours? Have my life been a good example if one were to sit down and watch and observe my every behaviour, discern my thoughts? I hear the Lord urged me fervently,

"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
~ 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)